Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the state agency that manages Alaska's public lands and natural resources. It oversees mining, oil and gas leasing, forestry, parks, agriculture and water rights across Alaska's state-owned lands.
Photo by BLM Alaska, via Flickr · Photo source · CC BY 2.0
dnr.alaska.gov ↗Alaska
Inside Alaska Department of Natural Resources
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Week of Jun 22
A week of lightning sparked dozens of Alaska fires and forced an entire town to flee
Lightning hit Alaska more than 5,400 times in a week, sparking dozens of fires, and one behind an Anderson school forced the whole town to flee.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Hilcorp wants five years to drive across North Slope subsistence land
A company wants 5 years to drive industrial rigs across North Slope tundra people hunt on. The real fight is who sets the rules, and when.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Point Thomson is the remote gas field Alaska's pipeline dream depends on
You know Prudhoe Bay. You probably don't know Point Thomson — the remote, pricey field Alaska's whole pipeline dream quietly leans on. And it's stirring.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Smokejumpers were called to a fire near a Kuskokwim homestead — then couldn't jump
A fire near a Kuskokwim homestead hit 50 acres, so Alaska scrambled its smokejumpers — who found the terrain too dangerous to jump. Back to plan B.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Starry Fire forces Anderson evacuations; 75 personnel battle 688-acre blaze
The Starry Fire forced Anderson evacuations Saturday and burned 688 acres 80 miles south of Fairbanks; 75 personnel are holding lines to push it toward the river.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Week of Jun 15
Anderson residents ordered to evacuate as Star Fire hits 100 acres
Anderson residents evacuated Saturday as the Star Fire burned 100 acres south of town, with two smaller fires igniting nearby under a Red Flag Warning through Sunday.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Alaska DFFP battles 4 wildfires across Interior, Southcentral, Southwest
Twin Bear Fire near Fairbanks drew 23 firefighters and helitack crews to a lightning-caused blaze in black spruce with cabins nearby. • Joaquin Fire southwest of McGrath and Vanderpool Fire east of McGrath prompted aerial response due to native allotment and private property. • Matanuska Fire on Glenn Highway was contained within two hours at under half an acre. • Red Flag Warning through Sunday evening cited 30 percent humidity and 40 mph wind gusts near thunderstorms across Central Interior.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Silver Bay applies for a dock right in front of competitor Snug Harbor
Silver Bay is putting a dock right in front of Snug Harbor's waterfront on the Kasilof. Competition is the substance.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Tidal energy permit application opens in Isanotski Strait near False Pass
Tidal energy permit in Isanotski Strait. Small ask. Alaska has the biggest U.S. tidal resource, and Cook Inlet gas is running down.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Five wildfires under investigation overnight in southcentral Alaska
Five wildfires broke out overnight in southcentral Alaska's Susitna basin as a Red Flag Warning takes effect Saturday, with burn permits suspended statewide.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago1 min read
Red Flag Warnings blanket Mat-Su and Susitna Valley for solstice weekend
National Weather Service issued Red Flag Warnings for Mat-Su and Susitna Valley through early Saturday due to lightning risk, dry fuels, and humidity as low as 25 percent. Burn permits are suspended across Delta, Tok, and Mat-Su areas.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
An escaped campfire grew to 89 acres near Sterling — cutting power and closing a road
An unextinguished campfire near Sterling grew to 89 acres, cut power, and closed Swanson River Road. Put out your campfires.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min readFrom 
The Grandview Fire has closed Swanson River Road and burned 30 acres near Sterling
The Grandview Fire is at 30 acres near Sterling. Swanson River Road is closed, the canoe route is offline, no evacuations yet.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Chugach is pursuing four hydroelectric projects to hedge against Cook Inlet gas decline
Chugach's gas-to-renewables shift has its first concrete entries: four hydro projects on four Southcentral creeks, 52 MW total.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Alyeska Seeks Land to Armor the Pipeline Against Floods
Alyeska wants more North Slope land to wall the pipeline off from flooding — the same week the rivers are rising, and a year after the Sag took out the Dalton Highway for real.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Alaska State Parks reservation change puts deadline on gift certificates
Alaska State Parks switches to a new reservation system Oct. 1, 2026, and all Reserve America gift certificates expire Sept. 30 and must be used for stays before Jan. 1, 2027.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Coming up
Alaska LNG ROW Lease Conversion Public Hearing (Virtual)
Virtual (Microsoft Teams)
Hearing
Alaska Department of Natural Resources Hearing on Alaska LNG Right-of-Way Conversion
Hearing
Alaska LNG ROW Lease Conversion Public Hearing (In Person)
Hearing
Alaska LNG Point Thomson Transmission Line & GTP-Mainline-LF ROW Conversion - In-Person Public Hearing
Hearing
Public Comment Deadline: State Underground Storage Rights Claim
Public notice
About Alaska Department of Natural Resources
Photo by BLM Alaska, via Flickr · Photo source · CC BY 2.0
dnr.alaska.gov ↗Alaska
The Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the State of Alaska agency that manages state lands and natural resources. Its divisions oversee oil and gas, mining, land and water, forestry, parks and agriculture.
DNR holds oil and gas lease sales, approves drilling and seismic surveys, permits mines and sells rock and gravel. It grants leases and easements, decides land transfers to the University of Alaska, the North Slope Borough and AIDEA, and plans timber harvests in state forests.
Its land decisions draw review from the Legislature, and disputes over leases reach the Alaska Supreme Court. DNR works alongside sister agencies such as the Department of Fish and Game and the Department of Transportation, which buys material from state pits.
More from Alaska Department of Natural Resources
DNR, Mental Health Trust finalize MEA easements for Wasilla utility corridor
DNR and the Alaska Mental Health Trust approved easements letting Matanuska Electric Association build and maintain power lines along Church Road and Shampine Lane in Wasilla.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Week of Jun 8
Hilcorp seeks state lease for 1,330-acre gas storage field in Kenai
Hilcorp filed Friday for a state lease to store natural gas in 1,330 acres of subsurface rock beneath Kenai, with public comments due July 7.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Tok suspends burn permits ahead of Chickenstock festival
Trying to enjoy chickenstock, and yes, that is a real thing, well, you better pre-burn your barrels. Cause that is no longer A-OK at this wholesome event.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Palmer subdivision easement vacation draws access concerns
Alaska's Department of Natural Resources approved vacating two public easements on a Palmer subdivision lot, ending physical trail access despite objections from two neighbors who said the easement provided important passage.
by Alaska News5mo ago1 min read
DNR opens public comment on Homer parcel sale to University of Alaska
Alaska DNR is moving to sell a 20-acre Homer parcel to the University of Alaska without competitive bidding, bypassing local control. Comments are due to DNR by July 14 at 3 p.m., and only written comments preserve appeal rights.
by Alaska News5mo ago1 min read
Yenlo Fire crews defend cabin, equipment as 53-acre blaze nears Skwentna
Firefighters defended a cabin and equipment as the 53-acre Yenlo Fire near Skwentna reached 90 percent containment Wednesday, with crews demobilizing by Friday.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Homer Electric wins state OK for undersea fiber across Kachemak Bay
Alaska approved Homer Electric's plan to convert its undersea power cable corridor across Kachemak Bay into a permanent public fiber optic easement, clearing the way for broadband to reach three roadless communities on the bay's south side.
by Alaska News5mo ago1 min read
Two firms seek competing gas-storage leases at Kenai Loop field
Hilcorp and ENSTAR filed competing applications to convert the depleted Kenai Loop gas field into storage, forcing the state to choose between them as Cook Inlet's gas production falls 60 percent short of winter demand for Southcentral Alaska.
by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Smokejumpers, hotshots battle 52-acre Yenlo Fire near Talkeetna
A 52-acre wildfire north of Skwentna grew overnight from 10 acres, drawing smokejumpers and hotshot crews to protect remote cabins in the upper Susitna Valley while aerial tankers slow the human-caused fire.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
DNR offers 50-year North Slope lease for gas-powered data center
Alaska DNR offered a 50-year lease to STAK Energy for a massive data center on the North Slope that would use natural gas to power 1 to 3 gigawatts of computing, with public comments due June 15.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
The navigability question that's been simmering since Alaska statehood just got four more answers
The federal government has formally cleared its claim to submerged lands beneath four Alaska rivers and lakes, affirming state ownership in a dispute that has simmered since statehood and will likely take decades more to fully resolve.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Human ignitions cause 95 percent of Alaska's early fires
Human carelessness sparked 118 of Alaska's 124 early-season wildfires so far, a 95 percent rate that's stretching fire season into months when lightning fires rarely occur.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Mastadon Fire reaches full containment after drone-guided mop-up
The Mastadon Fire southeast of Talkeetna reached full containment Friday after a drone spotted the last patch of heat, letting ground crews finish the job same-day instead of waiting for the next morning's aircraft pass.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Ambler wildfire reaches 1,500 acres as fire activity slows
The Kopshesut Fire near Ambler has burned nearly 1,500 acres and slowed to creeping and smoldering as 68 firefighters and aircraft apply water and hold the line within a mile of the village.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Week of Jun 1
Red Flag Warnings hit Southwest Alaska three days running
Red Flag Warnings covered Southwest Alaska on June 3 and 4 as hot, dry conditions and 20 mph winds created rapid fire spread risk in remote communities from the Kuskokwim Valley to Bristol Bay.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Forest Service scraps Herbert Glacier cabin for mining claim
The Forest Service cancelled a planned cabin near Herbert Glacier in Juneau, citing mining claims and potential conflicts with mineral exploration by Canadian company Grande Portage Resources.
by Alaska News5mo ago3 min read
Fire burns within mile of Ambler as crews race to protect village
The Kopshesut Fire burned within a mile of Ambler on Friday, with 24 smokejumpers and incoming crews working to protect the village of 274 residents before winds push the 500-acre blaze closer.
by Maggie AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Alaska suspends burn permits statewide as heat drives fire risk
Alaska suspended burn permits statewide June 1-5 across Mat-Su, Kenai-Kodiak, Tok, Delta, Fairbanks, Salcha, and Railbelt due to early heat and dry conditions, after recent escaped debris fires and burn barrels sparked multiple wildfires.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min readFrom 
Talkeetna wildfire contained after overnight crew work
An 18-acre wildfire southeast of Talkeetna was fully contained Friday after crews worked overnight with helicopters and retardant tankers. No structures were threatened.
by Alaska News5mo ago1 min read
Hilcorp seeks Cook Inlet gas storage lease at Beluga River — part of how Southcentral plans to get through winter as gas production declines
Hilcorp seeks gas storage lease at Beluga River in Cook Inlet to manage Southcentral's winter demand surge. • The site overlaps critical habitat for the endangered Cook Inlet beluga whale, population around 300. • Alaska Department of Natural Resources is taking public comment on the application.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Miller's Reach fire lessons shape Alaska wildfire response 30 years on
Alaska's 1996 Miller's Reach Fire destroyed 344 homes in Big Lake and killed 37,000 acres, forcing the state to overhaul wildfire response, evacuation coordination, and community preparedness — lessons that still guide how Alaska fights fire today.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Alaska fire agencies open nine wildfire investigations in four days
Alaska fire agencies opened nine wildfire investigations across four regions in three days as Red Flag Warnings and dry conditions raised fire danger statewide.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Alaska proposes timber sales in Haines State Forest habitat areas
Alaska's Division of Forestry and Fire Protection is proposing to allow timber sales in wildlife habitat and recreation areas of the 260,000-acre Haines State Forest, reversing a 2002 policy ban, with public comment due June 5.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
DNR approves 800-cubic-yard gravel contract on Dalton Highway
Alaska DNR approved an 800-cubic-yard gravel contract for North Star Construction on the Dalton Highway near milepost 154, in a corridor recently transferred from federal to state control.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read